Charmaine Holdren of Weatherford, Texas, won the Women’s Rodeo World Championship Limited Barrel Racing title with a 13.382-second run inside Cowtown Coliseum on Wednesday.
She didn’t hear the time right away. As the announcer hesitated before reading it out, Holdren held her breath. Then it came: 13.382. Good enough to win the round, the division, and a ticket to AT&T Stadium.
“I mean I had no clue about going to AT&T Stadium! That’s insane,” she said. “I’m so tickled. Just goosebumps. I’m so proud of him. I knew he had it in him to win.”
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Holdren rode His Way is Perkfect, known in the barn as Trick Oration, or just Trick. The 8-year-old gelding, by Perks Alive and out of Designer Diamond by Designer Red and bred by Jolene Hales of T Quarter Horses, has been her personal project. She started training and hauling him in 2024 after a decade away from competition.
“He’s just now becoming a businessman,” Holdren said. “He’s taken everything I’ve thrown at him so well. A year ago, he’d have been jumping sideways at everything in this building. Now, he just walks in and takes it all in stride.”
The win earned Holdren $1,381.20 and secured her a spot in Saturday night’s Showdown Round at AT&T Stadium, where she’ll compete alongside the Pro and Challenger qualifiers.
Her return to the arena has been a long one. Holdren last ran barrels nearly 10 years ago, but after an injury left her with torn ligaments in both elbows, she struggled to find treatment.
“It took seven doctors before I found the right physical therapist,” she said. “I hadn’t run barrels in 10 years. I trained Trick myself and just started hauling him. We started exhibitioning in the summer of 2024 and got into 2D by February. It’s been slow and steady.”
The WRC marked just her third time inside Cowtown Coliseum, and while she’d struggled with entries and nominations in past seasons, she came into the week confident her horse was ready.
“A friend told me about the WRC a while ago and said, ‘There’s a lot of money in it,’” she said. “So I kept it in the back of my mind. But I wanted to wait until I had the right horse. Once Trick started to really figure it out, I entered.”
Holdren plans to enter the Challenger division next season and hopes Trick continues to develop. Her husband, Mike, and son, Riker, were waiting for her just outside the alley following the run — a family celebration years in the making.
“This was only our third time here,” she said. “He’s just starting to get good.”
Holdren credits Hales’ breeding program for Trick’s foundation and emphasized how thankful she is to have a horse that fits her so well.
“Jolene’s program is incredible. She breeds for good minds and sound bodies,” she said. “I’m so thankful for the horse I’ve got under me.”
Drew Ellen Stewart of Normangee, Texas, finished second in the round with a 13.463 and earned $1,035.90. Full Limited division results are available here.
